The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-08-27
Iwo FUNNY ToAos.
.,o.t Curious Exchange Of Clothing
ne EVER Recorded In Print.


ne Ever Recorded In Print.
.No one knows the funny things
is will do" said Hon. James 4,
s .oa a Lllzerne County naturalist
na cx-member OF the Pennsylvania
legislature. "On recent cloudy day,
.fter a hard rain. there was cool
Sreeze blowing. was walking in a
trieud's garden near Hazleton when
heard a peculiar sound. Looking in
the direction from which it came l saw
two toads in an open space in the gar.
aen. One was quite large and the
other was at least third smaller.
They we're both standing on their hind
feet facing each other. The large toad
had its fore feet over on each side of
the smaller toad's shoulders the small
toad his left fore foot on the large ones
right leg. As they stood in that way
they uttered strange cultural sounds,
as if they were discussing some subject
between themselves. Suddenly the
small toad thrust its right foot, or hand
YOU might call it, against the large
ones stomach, and the next instant
the latter threw the former to the
ground and lively wrestle between
began.
"During the struggle on the ground
the skins Of both toads burst open on
the back, and l supposed l was about
to see the interesting process of toads
taking off their coats, rolling them up
in little balls and swallowing them, as
naturalists say they do. l did witness
the process of shedding the skins, but
something much more singular than
the swallowing incident then occurred.
The day was raw and windy, as l said,
and after the toads had rubbed their
skins in comical way toward their
heads until they had both pulled them
selves clear of them each one began to
SILVER very perceptibly with the cold
Suddenly the small toad hoped quickly
to where the skin of the big one lay
and picking it up in his mouth hoped
away several feet. The big toad
followed the purloiner of his cast
off clothing with his eyes, and gave
two or three appealing croaks, bu.
made 10 effort to recapture the stolen
goods. When the small toad saw that
he was not followed he deliberately set
to work to don the skin he had taken.
1t took him some time to do it, but he
finally accomplished his purpose and
went masquerading around in the mis-
fit garment exactly like Il clown in a
circus wearing the big baggy costume
some of them appear in.
''The little fellow seemed to enjoy
the novelty of the situation. and hoped
around the large toad in what must
have been q most tantalizing manner.
The big toad was shivering like per-
son chilled through, and by and by
picked up the skin Of the small one and
began to force it on his body. The pro-
cess was difficult one. but after sew
eral minutes Of unceasing effort he
stood habilitated in the cast-off garment
of his diminutive companion. If the
effect of the big skin on the little toad
had been comieal, that of the little skin
on the big toad was more so. The
sleeves of the coat, so to speak, only
came half way down the arm, and the
legs Of the trousers covered the tond's
legs as though they had been knicker-
bockcrs The bodyof tho garment was
so tight tkat the toad could not work
either his legs or his arms. and he stood
there the picture of comical despair.
By and by he began to swell himself
up. and that apparently stretched the
skin, for he was able afterward to move
away slowly. He followed the small
toad into the bushes in dignitied man
ner and both disappeared. What the
outcome of this curious exchange of
clothing was never knew, but the in.
cidcnt satisfied me that toads do funny
things sometimes. Cor. Chicago
Times.